Wire-fence stretcher.



No. 788.975. PATEN'TED MAY 2, 1905.

A. W. WBLLMAN.

WIRE FENCE STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8. 1904.

j/VVENTOR Manam UNITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

ARTHUR W. WELLMAN, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN.

WIRE-FENCE STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,975, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed October 8, 1904;. $e1'1alN0. 227,719.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR T.WELLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Madison, in the county of Dane, State of Wisconsin,

' have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ire-Fence Stretchers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a wire fence stretcher, and particularly to a device adapted for stretching fences composed of woven-wire structures in which it is desirable to stretch the entire body simultaneously.

The invention has for an object to provide j a novel construction of stretcher-head adapted stretcher-head in reversed position from Fig.

1; and. Fig. 4, a detail vertical section of the ratchet-lever, showing the mounting of the pawls therein.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

The letter A designates a stretcher-head of novel construction, which is provided with an aperture A extending therethrough adapted to receive the ratchet-bar D, having the teeth or notches D upon the opposite edges thereof, which are adapted to cooperate with pawls C and G, pivotally mounted, as at B, at opposite sides of a recess B extending through the ratchet-lever B. The lower pawl is provided with a spring C surrounding the pivot B, as shown in Fig. 4, to hold it in contact with the bar D, so that when the lever B is pulled forward, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the lower pawl will automatically engage the next successive notch in the under side of the ratchet-bar. It will be observed that the upper pawl C in the return movement of the lever B Will drop by gravity into the next successive notch in the upper side of the ratchet-bar D. The recess B is provided with oppositely-inclined Walls B converging toward the center to allow a free oscillation of the lever and properly limit the extent thereof. The bar D also extends through this recess. This ratchet is provided on one side with a contact-face 6, adapted to bear against a fulcrum-point a, carried upon the face of the head A next adjacent to the lever. Extending laterally from the head A is a shoulder A adapted to contact with a face of the stretcherbar 0 and provided with an arm A extended at a right angle to the shoulder A so as to prevent an outward movement of the bars 0 from the head, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The ratchet-lever B may be operated in any desired mannerfor instance, by means of a removable handle B adapted to seat in a socket B at the upper end of the lever, while the rackbarD is supported in position and held against the stretching strain by means of a connection to a fixed pointsuch, for instance, as the chain D extending to a post or other fixed object D The clamping-bars C are composed of two opposite members adapted to be disposed on the opposite sides of the end of a section of wire fencing and clamped in position thereon by any desired meanssuch, for instance, as bolts 0.

In the operation of the invention it will be seen that the stretcher-head is reversible in position-that is, the shoulder and arm thereon may be disposed either upon the right or left hand side of the stretcher-bars, as the Work may require, while the bearing against this head is secured upon the fulcrum-points, so as to avoid any excess of friction, and it allows a free oscillation of the ratchet-lever to secure the step-by-step pushing movement thereof upon the fixed rack-bar. This construction and arrangement of parts provides asimple, eflicient, and economically-constructed stretcher adapted for use upon either side of a fence-section and one in which the frictional contact between the head and ratchetlever is reduced to a minimum.

It will be obvious that changes may be made in the details of construction and configuration Without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

..1. In afencestretcher,a rack-bar, a ratchetlever thereon provided with a contact-face, and a stretcher-head adapted to engage a fence structure and provided with contact-points upon its face next the ratchet-lever to engage the face thereof.

2. In a fence-stretcher,a rack-bar, a ratchetlever thereon, a stretcher-head adapted to engage a fence structure and provided with contact-points upon its face next the ratchet-lever, and a laterally-disposed shoulder projected from one side of said head.

3. Ina fence-stretchenarack-bar, aratchetlever thereon, a stretcher-head adapted to engage a fence structure and provided with contact-points upon its face next the ratchet-lever, a laterally-disposed shoulder projected from one side of said head, and an arm eX- tended at a right angle to said shoulder.

4. In a fence-stretcher, a rack-bar, means for securing the same against longitudinal movement, a stretcher-bar secured to a fence, a stretcher-head slidably mounted upon said rack-bar and having a laterally-disposed portion engaging said stretcher-bar, and means carried by the rack-bar for moving said head thereon. l

5. In a fence-stretcher, a rack-bar, means for securing the same against longitudinal movement, a stretcher-bar secured to a fence, a stretcher-head slidably mounted upon said rack-bar and having a laterally-disposed portion engaging said stretcher-bar, means carriedby the rack-bar for moving said head 4 thereon, a ratchet-lever provided with pawls to engage the opposite faces of said rack-bar and a contact-face at one side thereof, and contact-points upon the face of said head opposite said lever.

6. In a fence-stretcher, a rack-bar having teeth upon its opposite faces, a stretcher-head slidably mounted upon said bar to engage a fence structure and provided with contactpoints, a ratchet-lever having a contact-face adapted to slidingly engage said contactpoints and provided with pivoted pawls at opposite sides of said bar, and a removable handle disposed in a socket at the upper end of said stretcher.

7. In a fence-stretcher, a rack-bar, a ratchetlever having a recess to receive said bar provided with oppositely-inclined Walls converging toward the center and disposed at opposite sides of said bar to form a movable pivotal support therefor upon the bar, and pivoted pawls carried by said lever to engage said bar.

8. In afence-stretcher,a rack-bar, aratchetlever having a recess to receive said bar provided with oppositely-inclined walls converging toward the center and disposed at opposite sides of said bar to form a movable pivotal support therefor upon the bar, pivoted pawls carried by said lever to engage said bar,

and a tension-spring surrounding the pivot of 2 one of said pawls and engaging the free end thereof to retain it in contact with the bar.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ARTHUR W. WVELLMAN. Witnesses:

B. J. HALLIGAN, M. H. SATER. 

